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21st birthday drinking: extremely extreme.

Patricia C Rutledge1, Aesoon Park, Kenneth J Sher

  • 1Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA. patricia.rutledge@allegheny.edu

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
|June 11, 2008
PubMed
Summary
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College students

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Substance Abuse Research
  • Sociology of Rituals

Background:

  • Public awareness exists regarding the dangers of 21st birthday drinking.
  • Empirical data on the prevalence, severity, and risk factors of this behavior is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence, severity, and predictors of 21st birthday drinking among college students.
  • To highlight the extreme danger posed by this celebratory drinking behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Survey data collected from a sample of 2,518 college students.
  • Analysis of drinking patterns, consumption levels, and exceeding prior maximums.
  • Identification of predictors for the occurrence and severity of 21st birthday drinking.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • 83% of participants drank to celebrate their 21st birthday.
  • High consumption levels were reported, with 12% consuming 21 drinks.
  • Approximately half of birthday drinkers exceeded their previous maximum alcohol intake.
  • Problematic alcohol involvement predicted both the occurrence and severity of 21st birthday drinking.

Conclusions:

  • 21st birthday drinking is a prevalent and dangerous practice among college students.
  • Problematic alcohol use is a significant risk factor.
  • Interventions are needed to mitigate harm associated with this rite of passage.